


He's Back

by LegacyofMagnar



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Episode 69, Other, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 21:09:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8342836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegacyofMagnar/pseuds/LegacyofMagnar





	

They rushed Percy to Pike the moment they got to Whitestone. Nothing mattered except bringing their friend back. Townspeople came up to them, but backed away once they realized what had happened. Guards rushed up to the castle to get Cassandra with instructions to get quarters ready. 

Vex'ahlia grabbed her earring. "Pike, Pike can you hear us?" Vex winced at how broken her voice sounded. 

There was a pause before she heard Pike. "Vex?"

Vex took a shuddering breath. "Where are you, darling?"

"I'm at the temple. Where are you, I know something's wrong," Pike said. She felt the anxiety and heartbreak that she had felt over the last few hours increase at the worry in Vex's voice.

"W-We're coming to find you," Vex said. Her voice trembled as she tried to keep from sobbing in the middle of the street.

"Ok." With that, the group hurried to where Sarenrae's temple was. It was still under construction, but they needed to get to Pike. The door to the temple opened and there stood Pike, looking like she had just awoken. Her face was sad and her eyes were shiny with tears.

"I knew something was wrong," Pike said. She ushered her friends into the temple and lead them to the main room. Two followers of Sarenrae pushed a table into the middle of the room and left, leaving the group on their own. Grog placed Percy on the table and stood back as Pike came forward.

"Pike, can you do something? Can you help him?" Vex asked. Tears were falling down her face as she looked pleadingly at her friend.

"I'm going to try," Pike said, her voice now starting to tremble.

"We're here with you, Pike," Grog said. 

Keyleth nodded at his side. "Whatever we can do to help. We knew we couldn't do this without you."

Pike nodded. She began getting everything needed for the resurrection ritual. The sage, the diamond, everything that they would need. When it was set up, she grasped her holy symbol in one hand and extended the other above Percy's chest. The group watched as she began to glow with holy light. At her signal, they began the chant to help her find Percy's spirit.

After 5 minutes of searching, there is nothing. They could not locate his spirit. Something was blocking them from him. Pike frowned, but pushed harder. She could sense his essence, but couldn't quite reach it. On a hunch, Keyleth hands Pike the pistol that had belonged to Ripley. With that, the shadow became clearer as Pike focused on it. The shadow fiend that had once taken control of Percy, and later Ripley, was blocking the ritual as he hungrily feasted on Percy's soul. The group gasped with horror. Pike stopped the ritual and looked at the group, terror on her face. 

"What can we do? How do we draw him out?" Vex said worriedly.

"Do we destroy the gun? Do we go through this again?" Keyleth asked.

"Couldn't you just do what you did with me and Cravenedge, Pike?" Grog asked. He looked down at his friend.

"I could use greater restoration again." Pike said, nodding to herself.

"Do you want me to do it, so you can save your healing magic?" Keyleth asked.

"That'd probably be best," Pike said apologetically.

Keyleth nodded. She took the gun back from Pike and focused her druidic magic onto it. The group watched in silent fascination as Keyleth's hand shot out and grabbed at the air. Her armed moved erratically like she was holding onto something that was trying to escape. Keyleth frowned and held on tighter as a voice growled in her head. _'No, I finally have. I finally-'_ Keyleth pulled her arm back, tearing the connection between Orthax and the gun. He shrieked as he faded back to his plane of existence. 

A brief glimmer of light caught her attention. Percy was now floating away to the Astral Sea. "Percy!" Keyleth cried as the spell ended. She turned to Pike frantically. "Pike, go! Do it!"

Pike nodded and began the ritual once more. This time she was able to lock on to Percy's frayed, but whole spirit. The coldness became warm as the connection solidified. "Who will make the first offering?" She asked.

"I will," Vex said. She brought the whitestone residuum from the pocket of Percy's coat and laid it on his chest. "Percy, I don't know if you can hear me, but," She paused and took a deep, shuddering breath. "That day in Syngorn was one of the best moments of my life. And not because of what you think. It wasn't because of my father or the title, it was because of Whitestone. It was because of you." The tears started fall down her face harder as she began to sob.

"You allowed me to be apart of the thing you hold dearest. And I was so proud," She smiled for a moment. "But I don't want to be here if you're not. Whitestone still needs you, darling, I still need you here." Vex leaned down and kissed Percy gently. His lips were cold and she wished more than anything that they were warm, that he was here. She wished she wasn't confessing her love to his corpse. Vex pulled back. "I should have told you, it's yours."

The divine light around Pike and Percy brightened for a moment before fading back to it's warm glow. "Who will make the next offering?"

Keyleth stepped forward. She took the raven skull that she had given Percy from his neck and held it in her hands. "Percy, we had many conversations about life and death and in many ways you were my total opposite," She smiled and shook her head gently. She became somber as she continued. "But you were also my best friend. And even though I told you that day when I gave you this," She ran her thumb along the raven skull. "We're all gonna die and that you could still be saved from yourself , it's clear the journey was far from over and it's still isn't."

Keyleth glowed for a moment and barrage of crows flew from her. Vax, seeing what she was doing, went up to Percy's head and kneel. His wings extended from the back of his armor and laid on either of Percival like a cloak. Keyleth glanced thankfully at Vax and continued talking to Percy. "And as much as you might think, your journey is not over. Your journey may be, but ours isn't and we need you. I need you."

The light brightened again, longer this time. The group could see Pike's lips moving as she made the final offer. They watched as Pike's physical form begin to overlap with the radiant image she had held before. She was a bright golden image of herself with wings unfurling behind her. They could feel the divine energy in the room and knew that Sarenrae had answered Pike's prayer.

Percy's body began to lift off the table, held aloft by the divine light. His limbs hung limply by his side as his chest was lifted. The light from Pike began to make a small well above him and spiraled down into his chest. It blasted through him, cracking the table underneath him. But the light still held Percy. Pike's form disappears and the divine energy leaves the room as the ritual completes. Everyone holds their breath as they watched Percy's body lower down onto the cracked table.

Stillness. Vex clasps her brother's arm in fear. Another moment goes by with no change. Keyleth wraps her arms around herself. Another moment. Scanlan and Pike huddle close to Grog. 

Then there is the sound of a deep breath being taken. The group relaxes as Percy starts breathing again. They start crying and smiling as color returns to Percy. 

"Pike!" Vex exclaimed. She hugged her friend close. They began laughing with relief. "That was just too much." Pike said.

The group laughs again. They're giddy with relief and can't stop crying and smiling. Vax goes up to Percy and casts lay of hands on him, waking Percy up from his now unconsious state. Percy wakes up and is immediately hugged by Keyleth. "You're back, you're back." Keyleth says

He pats her arms. "Indeed I am, dear. Indeed, I am."


End file.
